Apple-Samsung Judge Says Companies Must Narrow Lawsuit

Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) must narrow their patent-infringement lawsuit case scheduled for trial in 2014, a judge ruled.
U.S. District Judge Lucy H. Koh in San Jose, California, today told lawyers from both companies that they must “focus and streamline” their cases to 25 patent claims, or elements of the patents at issue, and 25 accused products.
Koh made the request from the bench today in the latest of two related patent cases. The lawsuit was filed last year and covers technology in newer smartphones made by both companies, including Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Apple’s iPhone 5.
“We’ll keep narrowing and narrowing,” Koh said. “You’ve already been litigating this thing for a year; you must know something about what’s your best case.”
In a filing last week, Cupertino, California-based Apple included Samsung’s Galaxy Note smartphones and tablet computer in the case. Samsung claimed “all generations” of Apple’s iPhone and iPads infringe at least three of its patents, according to its filing.
Koh last month rejected Apple’s request to add additional damages to the first patent-infringement case between the two companies in San Jose. In that case, a jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion, finding the Suwon, South Korea-based company infringed six of the iPhone maker’s mobile-device patents.
Last year’s case is Apple Inc. (AAPL) v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., 11-cv-1846, the case scheduled for trial next year is Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., 12-cv-630, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose).

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